


Sleepless Night

by HereforThis



Category: The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst and Feels, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 03:44:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13650732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HereforThis/pseuds/HereforThis
Summary: Set during book 1, Will stays in the Institute instead of going for a nightly walk. Slightly inspired by Taratjah's drawings for Fight Song, but found on an old flashdrive from a while ago. Depictions of Violence tag is because a body is speared and blood drips on the characters.





	Sleepless Night

_Tess, Tess, Tessa…_ She stood before him all in white, hair draped over her shoulder, those eyes searching his own as if they need not speak. A cool breeze swept the brown strands into her face, and he reached to tuck them back. Indecent, of course, but she never minded his comments in the week they’d known each other, responding with wit of her own, so just maybe-

No, before he can reach her she looks away. Only now can he see her mouth tremble.

“I don’t understand this world,” she says quietly, raindrops breaking against the ground, words breaking against his heart. He feels it stutter. “I just need to find my brother,” she continues, downcast. “Then I can…I can forget all of this, all of the demons and fighting.”  
“And me?”

Her gaze is soft when she looks again at him. “I…”

A dark teardrop splashes on her cheek, then two more on the same side. She touches them with a slow confusion, then rubs them on her fingers. They’re too dark, nearly black in the low light. She snaps her head up, looking at the arch of the Institute, and screams.

“NATE!” Will follows her gaze, sees a man speared on part of the façade, his blood dripping down onto his sister. He reaches for her, to pull her into the Institute, into safety, but she rips away from him, glaring at him with red eyes.

“DON’T TOUCH ME! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HIM! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP HIM SAFE!”

“Tessa-” Behind her, a sliver of blue, a hint of laughter. His heart picks up, sweat forming. No, it couldn’t be, not here, after all this time. “Tessa, please listen to me, come inside-!”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she says coldly, sobs still wracking her form. She backs up a few precarious steps. He follows, but his speed fails him, he hadn’t applied the rune today, and he’s too slow to stop the demon from taking her. They both disappear with Tessa’s frightened scream, but he can hear those horrible sounds, like it’s eating her, crunching her bones. He searches desperately, the blood dripping down like acid on his own skin. He looks up in annoyance. The face is no longer unfamiliar, but more familiar than his own. Silver eyes. Too thin. His heart is actually splitting into pieces, and he’s calling Will’s name with dying breaths-

_“Will!”_

He jolts awake, limbs flailing. The floor greets him coldly, the blankets around his legs. A dim light is on in his room, giving Jem’s silver features a ghostly look, but he’s alive and not bleeding out. Will’s parabatai, pajamas sleep-rumpled, kneels down beside him, pulling at the blankets to free him. Will’s chest is heaving; he hadn’t realized how heavy he was breathing.

“Jem, what are you doing up?”

Silver eyes flick to his in disbelief. “I felt like you needed me.”

James is the only one he allows for this, the guilt weighing heavier than the nightmares on his heart. No one knew how much time Jem had left, but however many hours he did have were shortened by Will’s curse. Now he can’t even let Jem sleep.

“I’m fine, here. I can handle this myself,” he dismisses, calming by slipping out of the blankets and heaving them back on the bed in a crumpled pile. Jem hovers, and it must be a good night because he isn’t leaning against the bedpost. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Will shakes his head, not looking at him. He counts, getting his breathing under control. Jem shifts his weight, drawing Will’s eyes to his expression. He does that when his illness gets to him, when he can feel it, and it sends pangs and aches through their bond. “Well, would you mind helping me with something?”

“Going to sneak out and debauch yourself, James?”

“I was hoping to slip the last bit of tonight’s dessert from the kitchen, and maybe get some tea.”

“You scandalous troublemaker, however will I be able to control your antics?” That made Jem smile. “I wouldn’t mind a stroll.”

“Just one question, if you’ll indulge me.” Will levels his eyes and nods. “It wasn’t ducks, was it?”


End file.
